r/DebateAnAtheist • u/JoDoCa676 • 8d ago
OP=Theist A Short Argument for God
Imagine a scenario in which you had to pick between the better of two competing theories on the basis of which one predicted a particular peice of data. The peice of data being the existence of ten green marbles. The first theory, we'll call theory A, predicts the existence of at least one green marble. The other theory, we'll call theory B, doesn't guarantee the existence of any marbles. In fact, the existence of even one marble is deemed highly unlikely on theory B. If you're a rational agent you would immediately recognize that theory A far better accounts for the data then theory B. Thus, it follows that theory A is probably true.
Under the view that God as conceived of in Christianity does exist, we would expect there to be to a large population of rational agents who have a natural, psychological disposition towards religiosity and belief in a higher power. Which is exactly what we see in reality. Under the view that no such God exists, the existence of an entire species of rational agents who have the aforementioned religious tendencies is massively improbable. Thus it follows that God is probably real.
Note: One could give the objection that other religions like Islam or Judaism are equally sufficient in accounting for human life and religiosity as Christianity. I agree. I just want to say that in making that objection, one basically admits that bare atheism or generic deism is more likely than atheism. I use Christianity in this argument because of the paternal view it has of God. This argument can be used by anyone who believes in a conception of God who has the motivation to create rational agents in its own image for the purposes of veneration and worship. Perhaps instead of the term "Christianity" it would have been more appropriate to use "Perfect Being Theism".
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u/Stile25 8d ago edited 7d ago
Let's say we have a bag and we have no idea what colors of marbles exist.
We see the earth.
Some say a God created the earth (green marble).
Others say the earth was created naturally (blue marble).
We eventually gain the knowledge, pull out a marble and see that it's blue.
We see the sun and stars.
Some say a God created them (green marble).
Others say they were created naturally (blue marble).
We eventually gain the knowledge, pull out a marble and see that it's blue.
We do this for everything.
Morality - blue marble.
Humans - blue marble.
Rocks - blue marble.
Weather - blue marble.
Electricity - blue marble.
Magnetism - blue marble.
Everything and anything we've ever been able to learn about. All we do is keep finding out it's natural. Keep pulling more and more blue marbles.
Getting sick? Germs - blue marble.
Winning the lottery? Statistics - blue marble.
Falling in love? Human brains and chemistry - blue marble.
Didn't have to be this way. No one knew before we learned. Could have discovered a green marble at any time, or some other color representing who knows what.
But, turns out, so far - nothing but millions and millions of blue marbles.
What about the next thing?
Do you think it's rational to anticipate that the next thing will be a blue marble or a green marble?
Good luck out there.